Steam engine



March 24, 1925.

H. B. WATSON ET AL STEAM ENGINE Filed Aug. 51, 1921. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 A fl W Y JMW 0 n 5 0A TWB m 0 8 mm N5 o HT 1 mmk g m 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a f KW a. v 4 IV I l|-\\\\ March 24, 1925.

H. B. WATSON ET AL STEAM ENGINE Fild A ug. 31, 1921 a n m A /NVENT0l? HENRY 5 WATSOM C'RBEN 0. BILLETOP. Si W Qma-QM FM- Ma rch 24, 1925.

15313153 H. B. WATSON ET AL swam ENGINE Filed Aug. 31, 1921 4 ShetS-Sheet 4 INVENTOQS:

HENKY WATSQM TORBE/I B/LLE-mpy Patented Mar. 24-, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT HENRY BURNETT WATSON AND TORBEN CHRISTIAN BILLETOP, F NEWCASTLE-O'N- TYNE, ENGLAND.. I

STEAM ENGINE.

Application filed August 3 1., 1921. Serial No. 497,240.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIQNS OF THE ACT OF MAZ RCHQ, 1921, 4i STAT. In, 1313.)

vertical engines of the uniflow type with central belt exhaust ports, and the object of speed and enhanced economy to be obtained.

According to the invention, we drain the cylinderby forming in the cylinder end'a cavity into which the drainage water is adapted to gravitate, said cavity being connected through a drain control valve to a drainage outlet, and the piston of the enginebeing fitted with a plunger adapted to work in said cavity in fluid-tight manner and to expel thecondensed water through the valve which is arranged to open whilst the said cavity is cut off from the cylinderinterior by the plunger. In the uniflow type of engine having a central belt of exhaust ports, the plunger enters the cavity immediately the piston on its downstroke covers the exhaust ports; the cavity isusually arranged concentrically with the piston rod and the plunger is formed by enlarging the portion of the rod next to the piston. The valve may be positively operated by the engine mechanism, or it may be of the The invention, applied byway of example to a vertical engine of the unifiow.

type, is illustrated in the. accompanying drawings, in which i i Fig. 1 is an elevation in conventional section, to show the cylinder ports and the respective valves; 7 v

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion similar to Fig. 1, and showsthe drainage the invention is to so construct engines of this typethat theyshall be self-draining under. all conditions and thus enable a very high automatic spring-controlled non-return type.

valve arranged on the same spindle as the steam distribution valve; I H

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing an arrangement of automatic spring controlled drainage valve; I

Fig. 4 hows the arrangement when the steam distributing valve is of that type in which the ports.

outer edges control the steam FFICE.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryelevation.in medial section showing a modification of the plunger and drainage cavity and I Fig. 6 is-a' planin section on the line VI, VI, of Fig. 5. i

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig; 5, showing a further modification of the plunger, and Fig. Sis a plan in section on the line VIII, VIII, of Fig. 7.

Referring in the first place to Fig. 1,-

The cylinder A is fitted at its extreme ends with steam ports, a and a which as in the arrangement illustrated are preferably of the straight through type; these ports may be controlled by any suitable type of valve, the ordinary piston valve B shown being preferred, thefvalve spindle b of which is operated in any convenient manner say from a crosshead C on the eccentric rod 0 The cylinder is also fitted with the usual belt ofexhaust ports at the centre 0, and is usually fitted with'an internal liner a in which these ports are formed; the exhaust ports are controlled by the edges of a deep piston D fitted to this type of engine. a is the cylinder cover, a the cylinder end, and b the valve casing, all of which, except as described herein, may be of the usual construction.

The action of the engine in r'espectto the steam ports a and a and the exhaust ports a thus located and controlled is similar to that whichobtains in the now well known uniflow type of engine; water which may be formed by condensation in, or which may be led from a priming boiler into the portion of the cylinder A above the main piston D, automatically drains away through the centralbelt of exhaust ports a as the latter are uncovered when the piston D is at or with a gland (Z said neck bush being fitted to the piston rod below the lower end of the opening E, at its lower end the opening E communicates up a passageway c with a drainage cylinder 'F into which the passage-way opens by a series of annular ports controlled by a valve f preferably the drainage cylinder F, which is oi comparatively small diameter, is arranged with its axis parallel with the axis of the main cylinder A and may be conveniently located in an extension of the cylinder end and between the main rod d? and the valve rod 17 The valve f is preferably of the piston type and is reciprocated by a valve spindle f passing out of the drainage cylinder through a stufiing [box f and connected to the cross head "C, or said valve may be operated in any other suitable manner.

i The drainage cylinder F has an opening 7" below the piston valve 7' leading to any suitable drain.

Assuming the main piston A to be in the position shown in Fig. l, the portion (Z of the piston rod extending from the underside of the piston to the top of the annular drainage cavity E is enlarged in diameter as shown so that as the piston descends below the point of its stroke above assumed, the enlarged portiond enters the said cavity and acts as a plunge-r toforce any water in the said cavity out' thepassage-way c dramag'e cylinder F, and drain f the valve opening when the-plunger (Zien'ters the cavity-E and remaining open whilst the plunger occupies said cavity, but closing again yust'betore the plunger leaves the cavity Eon its upward's-treke;

It will be seen that during the'whole time the piston D is in the upper portion of the cylinder A the drainage cavityF efiectually drains the lower portion of the cylinderand that water entering the cavity E is forced out by the action of the plunger 6Z5 which may be fitted with water grooves (Z to act as a seal to prevent leakage. The lower end a oi the cylinder A may be dished as shown, toguide-the drainage waterinto the drainagecavity.

In themodification shown in Fig. 2, the arrangement is substantially similar in condescribcd and the valve 7' now opens up-' wardly instead of downwardly as in the previous modifications.

In Fig.3 the draining cylinder F is fitted with'an ordinary mushroom valve seating f? adapted to be closed by 'a Valvef, and, fitted witha spring 7 which normally keeps the valve closed. When the plunger portion (5 descends into the-opening E the pressure on the entrapped water opens the valve f and so a-llows the water to pass out through the drainage outlet 7.

In Figs. 5and'6, the plunger d is somewhat longerthan in the arrangements previously described, axial grooves or channels al being cut in the lower portion of the periphery, the cavity E in fluid-tight manner during the completio'nfof the piston stroke but the walls (i between the grooves or channels (Z serve as guides, and do not move out of the cavity even when the piston is at the top of its stroke, the drainage being efliected through the channels al cavity E, drainage chamberc (which is formed by enlarging the cavlty E as shown,) andpassage-- way 6 In this case-the drainage is more effective, particularly during the period when the piston is moving at its slowest speed. I o

In Figs. 7 and 8 the arrangement of cavity E and drainage chamber e is similar to that of'F-ig'. 6. In this case the plunger (Z works in the cavity E in fluid-- tight manner duringthe whole of the piston stroke, the plunger b'eing'provided with a reduced medial portion, by which at the appropriate period of the stroke the condensed water is drained into the cavity E.

thence into the drainage chamber 6 and the passageway e?. In the example illustrated. the reduced medial portion is formed by flats (Z but any desired configuration may he adopted. I

In Fig-7 a renewable bush 6 is shown fitted at the top of the cavity E; a similar bush may be provided in the caseot each modification.

lVhilst the invention, as stated, is particularly applicable to engines of the unifiow type, it will be. seen that itmay be applied to automatically drain the cylinders of other types of en ines. f v

lie-details of construction may be modi- As before, the plunger enters 15 said piston and adapted to enter said cavity fied, and any suitable form of drainage control valve may be provided in the modification illustrated.

Having now fully described our invention, We declare that What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In engine cylinders fitted with the up per and lower steam ports and a central belt of exhaust ports controlled by the piston movement after the manner of unifiow engines, the combination therewith of a drainage cavity at the lower end of the cylinder, a valve for said cavity, into which condensed Water gravitates, and a plunger fitted to the as soon as the said piston has closed the said exhaust ports, said piston during the remainder of its down stroke actuating the plunger to force the condensed Water out through a valve which opens the said cavity to the drainwhilst the said cavity is cut ofi from the cylinder by the plunger; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We aflix our 'signatures'in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY Y BURNETT WATSON. TORBEN CHRISTIAN BILLETOP. lVitnesses:

CHARLTON HENRY CALVERT, Tnorms VVARDLE HEsLoP. 

